One fun perk of studying abroad through the CIMBA program is that it’s easy for students to travel to a new place each weekend. However, for students trying to predict their expenses and plan a budget, this may also be a stressful factor. CIMBA recommends students wait until they arrive at CIMBA to book weekend trips (which I totally agree with), but this makes it difficult to plan ahead. Although you won’t be able to make an exact budget before arriving at CIMBA, below I’ll share some general insight into how to budget and what to budget for.
Travel and Accommodation Expenses
When planning trips on the weekend, most students select their locations based on the travel expense to get there. Early in the semester, students typically took the train to different cities in Italy, which would cost anywhere from a just few euros (for somewhere close like Venice) to around fifty euros (for somewhere further away like Rome). As the semester has progressed, it’s more and more common for students to book cheap plane tickets to other countries, with their flights leaving Friday nights and arriving back on Sunday evenings. If you aren’t picky about where you’re traveling to, it’s possible to find flights for between 100 and 150 euros. However, if you’re wanting to visit a specific location, it may not be as cheap.
It’s also important to note that CIMBA is located 30 minutes from the nearest train station and an hour from Venice Marco Polo Airport. This means students will also have to cover the cost of a taxi, which can end up being anywhere from 25 to 150 euros depending on if you’re traveling alone or splitting the cost with a group.
While traveling, most students either stay in an Airbnb or hostel as hotels are much more expensive. I haven’t stayed in a hostel, so I’m not able to speak to those, but depending on the group size an Airbnb will typically range from 30 to 50 euros per night. However, keep in mind that the cost of staying anywhere will largely depend on the size of your group, and traveling alone will be much more expensive. The best thing you can do for your budget is to travel with others.
Food, Experiences, and Final Recommendations
While travel and accommodation expenses are the most considered costs when travel planning (probably because they’re the upfront costs), there are other daily expenses to think about as well. First, because you’ll be much too busy for grocery shopping on short weekends, you need to account for eating every meal at restaurants. However, if you’re worried about expenses on longer weekends and spring break, it might be helpful to hit a grocery store and eat breakfasts or a few dinners at your Airbnb.
It's also important to consider the cost of entrance tickets into attractions. If you’re planning to take a guided tour, visit a museum, or take a class of some sort, you’ll need to account for that (and probably book it ahead of time). However, on shorter weekends, it’s possible to spend most of your time walking around and exploring the city for free as you’re not there for very long.
Finally, CIMBA typically recommends that students prepare to spend between $3,000 and $6,000 during their study abroad programs. After being here for eight weeks and traveling to several different countries, I think that the typical CIMBA student probably actually needs somewhere between $4,000 and $5,000 to travel comfortably each weekend. However, it is absolutely possible to travel for less.
You could choose locations in Italy that only require a train ride, which significantly cuts costs. Also, it’s not unusual for students to stay behind for a weekend or two to relax or prepare for exams. My final recommendation for students on a budget is to avoid spending too much money in Paderno del Grappa. It’s tempting to hit the sports bar or the pizza place a couple times a week, but you’ll be disappointed if, in the last few weeks of the semester, you come to find you spent too much money on local food and can’t afford that weekend trip to Rome anymore.
Until next time,
Sydney